SPRINGHILL – The North Webster Knights kickoff district play this week against a Booker T. Washington squad that’s seen their share of ups and downs this season.
North Webster can relate.
After starting their season with a huge win over back-to-back state champions Haynesville and following that up with a shutout of Homer, the Knights lost two straight. Granted those games were against Class 4A Minden and Class 5A Ouachita, both contests were at home where the Knights aren’t used to losing.
A big homecoming win last week got the Knights back on track, and head coach John Ware said his team has refocused ahead of district play.
“We’re starting a new season,” Ware said. “We’re treating it like that. I’ve seen them focused in this week. Winning a district championship is the only thing we haven’t done in our four years, so it’s pretty important to our guys.”
The Lions have some good athletes on both sides of the ball, starting on offense.
“They are pretty equal in the run and pass,” Ware said. “They will throw it around and they have a good quarterback and receivers. It will be a challenge.”
Part of the challenge for the Knights in recent weeks was establishing a rhythm on offense, something they were able to do in the second half of last week’s game against North Caddo.
The Knights finally got back to the ground game that has been so good to them over the past four years, with seniors Devin White and Jalen Smith combining for 211 yards and four touchdowns.
“It’s so hard these days to play against a team like us if you don’t see it often,” Ware said. “Everyone is in the spread and that’s all they’ve seen so I feel like we match up well.”
North Webster will travel to Booker T. Washington in Shreveport, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.